Title 34, Title 34. Homestead and Other Exemptions

If the householder does not set apart any real estate as before provided, or if what he does or has so set apart is not of the total value which he is entitled to hold exempt, he may, in addition to the property or estate which he is entitled to hold exempt under §§ 34-26, 34-27,…

Such personal estate selected by the householder under § 34-4, 34-4.1, or 34-13 shall be set apart in a writing signed by him. He shall, in the writing, designate and describe with reasonable certainty the personal estate so selected and set apart and each parcel or article, affi…

A. The real or personal estate that a householder is entitled to hold as exempt may be set apart at any time before it is subjected by sale under creditor process or by a trustee in bankruptcy, or, if such creditor process does not require sale of the property, before it is turne…

The rents and profits of the property set apart shall be exempt in the same manner as the corpus of such property and if the whole real and personal estate set apart be not of greater value than the amount the householder is entitled to exempt at the time it is so set apart, the …

Any creditor, against whom an exemption is claimed, may file a bill in equity, alleging that the value of the estate at the time it was set apart was more than the amount the householder is entitled to exempt or, that by reason of permanent improvements made on the real estate af…

The estate or property in which proceeds of sale are invested, or which may be acquired in exchange, under any of the preceding sections of this chapter, shall be held exempt in like manner and to the like extent as the estate sold or exchanged was held. But such estate or proper…

When an amount of property, whether real or personal, or both, has been set apart to be held by a householder as exempt under § 34-4, 34-4.1, or 34-13, such amount shall for a period of eight years from such setting apart be applied against the maximum amount to which the househo…

If any person shall declare in a bond, bill, note or other instrument by which he is or may become liable for the payment of money to another or by a writing thereon or annexed thereto that he waives, as to such obligation, the exemption from liability of the property or estate w…

In any proceeding for the enforcement of a claim, which by reason of the waiver aforesaid or otherwise, is paramount to the exemption, if there be in the county or city wherein the proceeding is estate of the debtor other than that which has been set apart as aforesaid, such othe…

When any person, entitled as a householder to the exemption provided for in § 34-4, ceases to be a householder or when any person removes from this Commonwealth, his right to claim or hold any estate as exempt under the provisions of this chapter, shall cease; but the lien of a j…

Whenever a judgment or decree is rendered on an instrument waiving the homestead or upon a demand against which the homestead cannot be claimed the court shall include in its judgment or decree words to the following effect, as the case may be: "Upon an instrument waiving the hom…

Every householder shall be entitled, in addition to the property or estate exempt under §§ 23.1-707, 34-26, 34-27, 34-29, and 64.2-311, to hold exempt from creditor process arising out of a debt, real and personal property, or either, to be selected by the householder, including …

Every veteran residing in this Commonwealth having a service connected disability of forty percent or more, as rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, shall be entitled, in addition to the property or estate which he is entitled to hold exempt from creditor process unde…

A. Where a parent supports a dependent minor child or children residing with him, that parent can hold exempt from wage garnishment, in addition to the property or estate that he is entitled to hold exempt from creditor process under §§ 20-108.1, 34-4, 34-4.1, 34-26, 34-27, 34-29…

A financial institution, as defined in § 6.2-100, shall, upon receipt of a garnishment summons, examine all accounts for which the account holder is the judgment debtor named in the summons and shall hold exempt from garnishment a minimum protected account balance of such account…

A. For purposes of this section: "Account review" means the process of examining deposits made into an account to determine if one or more benefit payments have been deposited during the two months immediately preceding the day before the account review commenced. "Benefit paymen…

The property exemptions created under this Code shall not be claimed against the following debts: 1. For the purchase price of such property or any part thereof. If the property purchased and not paid for is exchanged for or converted into other property by the debtor, such last …

In order to secure the benefit of the exemptions of real estate under §§ 34-4 and 34-4.1, the householder, by a writing signed by him and duly admitted to record, to be recorded as deeds are recorded, in the county or city wherein such real estate or any part thereof is located o…

Such real estate may be selected and set apart as aforesaid, subject to any paramount encumbrances thereon. If a sale be had to satisfy the encumbrances, the surplus of the proceeds, if any, not exceeding the amount to which the householder is entitled under § 34-4, shall be paid…

If the estate so set apart be held by the householder as joint tenant, coparcener or tenant in common, partition or sale may be had as provided by Article 11 (§ 8.01-96 et seq.) of Chapter 3 of Title 8.01 and in case of sale the share of the proceeds to which the householder is e…

Real estate set apart as aforesaid may be sold and conveyed as other real estate held by the householder and the proceeds invested in other property, or it may in like manner be exchanged for other property, but in no case shall the purchaser be bound to see to the application of…

In addition to the exemptions provided in Chapter 2 (§ 34-4 et seq.), every householder shall be entitled to hold exempt from creditor process the following enumerated items: 1. The family Bible. 1a. Wedding and engagement rings. 2. Family portraits and family heirlooms not to ex…

If the householder be at the time actually engaged in the business of agriculture, there shall also be exempt from such levy or distress, while he is so engaged, to be selected by him or his agent, the following articles, or so many thereof as he may have, to wit: a pair of horse…

Every deed of trust, mortgage or other writing or pledge made by a householder to give a lien on property exempt from distress or levy under § 34-26 shall be void as to such property. However, this section shall have no application to (i) property covered by a deed of trust, mort…

Except for liens created under Article 7.1 (§ 8.01-66.2 et seq.) of Title 8.01, Article 5 (§ 54.1-3932 et seq.) of Title 54.1, and Chapter 19 (§ 63.2-1900 et seq.) of Title 63.2, all causes of action for personal injury or wrongful death and the proceeds derived from court award …

The debtor's right to receive spousal or child support, to the extent reasonably necessary for the support of the debtor and any dependent of the debtor, shall be exempt from creditor process.

A. Except as provided in subsections B and C, the maximum part of the aggregate disposable earnings of an individual for any workweek that is subjected to garnishment may not exceed the lesser of the following amounts: 1. Twenty-five percent of his disposable earnings for that we…

Any judgment creditor, upon having a garnishment summons issued upon a judgment against the judgment debtor named in such certificate, may give five days' written notice, to be served personally on the employer and the judgment debtor by any officer authorized by law to serve civ…

No person shall institute or permit to be instituted proceedings in his own name or in the name of any other person or shall assign or transfer, either for or without value, any claim for debt or liability of any kind held by him against a resident of the Commonwealth who is a la…

The wages of a minor shall not be liable to garnishment or otherwise liable to the payment of the debts of parents.

A. For the purposes of this section: "Alternate payee" shall have the same meaning as provided under § 206 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). In the case of a retirement plan that is not subject to ERISA, the term "alternate payee" means an individual…